Tag Archives: United Methodist Church

While many think of actions such as the imposition of ashes, signing with the cross, footwashing, and the use of incense as something that only Roman Catholics or high church Episcopalians do, there has been a move among Protestant churches, including United Methodists to recover these more multisensory ways of worship. This is in keeping with a growing recognition that people have multiple ways of learning and praying.

Worship that is oriented to the intellect or to the emotions, both interior, leaves out those who engage in prayer through vision, smell, touch, movement, and so forth. We are increasingly aware that people are formed in faith when practices become embedded in memory, nerves, muscles and bone through sensory engagement.

United Methodists have had resources for worship that include the imposition of ashes since 1979 when Ashes to Fire was published as Supplemental Worship Resource 8. This practice became part of our official worship resources in 1992 when General Conference adopted The United Methodist Book of Worship. See the service for Ash Wednesday, p. 321-324. It is, of course, optional and no congregation or individual is required to use it.

Sunday, May 24th, has been set aside as a Conference-wide Day of Prayer.

Our Bishop, Dr. Cho, has invited every church to remember this day and to pour out our hearts and minds to God, asking for a renewal and revival of the churches in our conference and in our entire, beloved United Methodist Church.

While many think of actions such as the imposition of ashes, signing with the cross, footwashing, and the use of incense as something that only Roman Catholics or high church Episcopalians do, there has been a move among Protestant churches, including United Methodists to recover these more multisensory ways of worship. This is in keeping with a growing recognition that people have multiple ways of learning and praying.

Worship that is oriented to the intellect or to the emotions, both interior, leaves out those who engage in prayer through vision, smell, touch, movement, and so forth. We are increasingly aware that people are formed in faith when practices become embedded in memory, nerves, muscles and bone through sensory engagement.

United Methodists have had resources for worship that include the imposition of ashes since 1979 when Ashes to Fire was published as Supplemental Worship Resource 8. This practice became part of our official worship resources in 1992 when General Conference adopted The United Methodist Book of Worship. See the service for Ash Wednesday, p. 321-324. It is, of course, optional and no congregation or individual is required to use it.

The United Methodist Church does not have an official statement or position regarding Halloween.

Church members are free to make their own decisions about their participation in Halloween activities. Local churches can decide if they wish to offer traditional or alternative activities for children at Halloween.

What can make your community better? Plant a garden, clean up your neighborhood, stock a food pantry or just spread a little joy.

It’s been five years since the United Methodist Church first challenged Christians to raise their hands for their communities through Change the World. In that time, churches stepped outside their own walls to strengthen communities, feed the hungry, comfort the vulnerable, and welcome the stranger. Change the World has transformed congregations in spirit and grown them in numbers.

So this year, don’t sit on your hands. Organize a Change the World event. The official kickoff is May 17-18, but you can Change the World at any time.

Whenever you decide, let United Methodist Communications help you publicize it locally. That way, you can receive visitors who want to work alongside you to make your community better.

Like this:

United Methodist Church logo. The cross and flame logo of The United Methodist Church is a mark known the world over. But, what is the meaning and history of this interesting logo? Chuck tells you about it.

Pastor Jay preached at all 3 services on February 11, 2018. The topic was Up the Foggy Mountain. Our integrity is put to the test every day, in virtually every situation. We are being watched closely to see how we will respond. The choice of our walk matching our talk, our behavior matching our beliefs, our character matching our confession is left to us. Wh […]

Pastor Dan preached at all 3 services . Our integrity is put to the test every day, in virtually every situation. We are being watched closely to see how we will respond. The choice of our walk matching our talk, our behavior matching our beliefs, our character matching our confession is left to us. What will we do? We begin to wrap up this part of our serie […]

Pastor Jay preached at all 3 services on January 28, 2018. The topic was When Relationships are Broken. For many reasons, ours is a “throw away” society. When things break . . . we throw them away . . . and then we look around for a replacement. So what do we do when the “thing” that breaks is a relationship? Relationships are so valuable and yet so difficul […]

Pastor Jay preached at all 3 services on January 21, 2018. The topic was When the Cultural Driver is Greed. Jesus asks his listeners, “Why are you worried about your clothing? . . . Why are you worried about what you can gather into your barn?” Our retort may well be, “Of course we worry . . . who doesn’t?” What if we don’t have the right outfit for the righ […]

Pastor Dan preached at all 3 services . In Monopoly, we know we’re doing well when we have lots of money, houses, and hotels. In Checkers, we know we’re doing well when we have more of our opponent's pieces than they have of ours. And when we play Follow the Leader, we know we’re doing well when we do what they do and go where they go. How do we know we […]

Pastor Dan preached at all 3 services . Leading is hard, whether in our home, our workplace, or whatever our sphere of influence may be. What does that look like? Who’s in charge anyway? We naturally look to others for these and other answers, when really the solution might be found within. Join us as we wrestle with these questions from Matthew 3:13-17. Sc […]

Pastor Jay preached at all 3 services . December 24th , the fourth Sunday of Advent – the last of a three part sermon series entitled “The Redemption of Scrooge”. “A Christmas Carol” moves through dramatic shifts and turns, murky darkness and hoped for light. How will it end? Our journey to Christmas Day has its own shifts and turns, and as we near the finis […]

Pastor Dan preached at all 3 services . December 17th , the third Sunday of Advent – the second of a three part sermon series entitled “The Redemption of Scrooge”. Scrooge meets with the Ghost of Christmas Present, and is shown an alternative way of seeing reality that is normally hidden under the ways of the world. Upon learning that she is to bear God’s So […]

Pastor Jay preached at all 3 services . December 10th , the second Sunday of Advent – the first of a three part sermon series entitled “The Redemption of Scrooge”. Can it be that the novelist Charles Dickens has important insights into our preparation for the Christ Child? Scrooge is visited by the “spirit of Christmas past”, and his life begins to change. T […]